Author: TheStateLine

Kozhikode, Sep 12 (IANS) The Kerala unit of the CPI(M) has taken disciplinary action against K.T. Prameela, President of Thalakkulathur Panchayat, demoting her to branch-level membership for lighting a ceremonial lamp before the 'Bharatamma' idol and participating in an RSS programme.Prameela, who also served as an area committee member, attended the event organised for handing over a newly constructed house to a poor family under the coordination of Union Minister of State for Tourism, Suresh Gopi.The party cited her participation in the religious ceremony and involvement in the RSS-led programme as violations of CPI(M) discipline, underscoring its strict stance on members' political and ideological alignment.The incident comes amid a series of recent controversies in Kerala involving pub...

Lucknow, Sep 12 (IANS) A miniature version of the Hindu scripture, Bhagavad Gita, and a unique cutout book on Prime Minister Narendra Modi have become the biggest attractions at the ongoing National Book Fair, held from September 4 to 14 at Balrampur Garden, Hazratganj, Lucknow.The standout crowd-puller is the smallest-size Bhagavad Gita, showcased by Apoorv Shah of Navrang Printers, Ahmedabad. Priced at just Rs 80, the book contains 400 pages, weighs only 80 grams, and measures a mere 1 inch in height and 1.5 inches in length, small enough to fit in a pocket.Speaking to IANS, Apoorv Shah, who made the smallest Gita into Hindi and published it himself, said, “I wanted to create a version of the Bhagavad Gita that people could carry with them easily. This edition is practical, and even th...

Ayodhya, Sep 12 (IANS) The holy city of Ayodhya witnessed a very special moment when Mauritius Prime Minister Dr Navinchandra Ramgoolam, accompanied by his wife Veena Ramgoolam and a 30-member delegation, offered prayers at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple, here on Friday.Dr Ramgoolam became the second head of state, after the Prime Minister of Bhutan, to visit and worship Ram Lalla at the grand temple.The Mauritius Prime Minister arrived at Maharishi Valmiki International Airport around noon, where Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath warmly received him.In keeping with the tradition of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’, CM Yogi welcomed him with flowers, a souvenir, and a red-carpet reception accompanied by chanting of mantras, 'Kalash-Aarti', and the sound of drums and conch shells that filled...

New Delhi, Sep 12 (IANS) The Union government on Friday announced the annual licensing policy for the Opium Crop Year from October 1, 2025, to September 30, 2026, under which nearly 1.21 lakh farmers in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh are eligible for the grant of licenses for opium poppy cultivation.This represents a 23.5 per cent increase over the number of licenses actually issued in the previous crop year. The policy thus brings approximately 15,000 additional farmers into the fold, who are expected to benefit from opium cultivation this year, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Finance.The Central government continues to ensure an adequate supply of alkaloids to meet medical and palliative care needs. Concurrently, efforts are underway to augment processing ...

Chandigarh, Sep 12 (IANS) In a remarkable display of intelligence-driven coordination and operational excellence, the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Punjab Police have conducted a joint operation and recovered a big haul of arms and ammunition, comprising 16 pistols, and arrested two smugglers, the border guarding force said on Friday.The recovery comes just hours after one of the largest seizures of pistols in recent times, in which two smugglers were apprehended and a huge cache of arms, comprising 27 pistols and ammunition, was seized. Both seizures were reported in the Fazilka sector. The latest one was carried out by the BSF intelligence wing in close collaboration with the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) of Fazilka in Theh Kalandar village. The tactically executed operation ...

New Delhi, Sep 12 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Friday adjourned the hearing on the bail pleas of Sharjeel Imam, Umar Khalid, Meeran Haider, and Gulfisha Fatima -- all accused in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case -- till next week. A Bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and N.V. Anjaria expressed difficulty in taking up the batch of special leave petitions (SLPs), noting that the case files had been circulated very late the previous night.Taking note of the submissions that the accused, booked under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), have challenged the Delhi High Court’s refusal to grant them bail, the Justice Kumar-led Bench directed that the batch of petitions be listed for hearing on September 19.Earlier, the Delhi High Court had denied bail to several activists and...

Jaipur, Sep 12 (IANS) Rajasthan Food and Civil Supplies Minister Sumit Godara on Friday strongly rejected the allegations of privacy violations inside the Assembly raised by the opposition, terming them completely baseless.He said the double-engine government led by Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma has been working effectively for a “Developed Rajasthan,” and the opposition, unable to counter the government’s achievements, is resorting to false claims. Godara said that in the last 21 months, the government under CM Sharma’s leadership has strengthened the vision of development across the state.“Seeing the excellent work of the government, the opposition has become speechless. They had nothing to say in the Assembly, which is why the session was disrupted. Even State Congress President G...